Apparatus for making cigarettes



Jan. 5, 1937. w. F. M. EDWARDS APPARATUS FOR MAKING CIGARETTELS Filed Nov. 7, 1934 Patented Jan. 5, 1937 PATENT GFFICE APPARATUS FOR MAKING CIGARETTES William Frederick Maitland Edwards, London,

England, assigner to Filter Tips Limited, London, England, a British company Application November '7, 1934, Serial No. 751,951 lin Great Britain November 9, 1933 22 Claims.

This invention relates to cigarettes and is particularly concerned with the production of lter tip or like composite cigarettes by a method wherein spaces are formed in the continuous tobacco iilling for the reception of filter tips or other insertions.

The present invention has among its objects to provide improvements in such method of production and, further, to provide improved, simple and eifective apparatus for carrying out the improved method.

According to the present invention, a continuous tobacco lling is cut at spaced positions while closely confined and/or under compression to ensure clean-cut ends, and spaces for the reception of filter tips or other insertions are formed by the lateral removal of subdivided parts oi the lling.

For carrying out the method, apparatus may be provided comprising a rotatable wheel or drum having a circumferential groove or channel in its periphery into which groove or channel the tobacco lling is guided and held or confined during its passage to a position at which it is delivered from the groove or channel on to a continuous paper strip, and cutting and tobacco-removing means assocated with the Wheel or drum and operating on the tobacco lling in the circumferential groove or channel through transverse slots or the equivalent. Means for applying lengths of lter tip or other insertion material may be associated with the means for removing the subdivided parts of the tobacco lling. The tobacco filling may be fed into the circumferential groove or channel by means of a compression wheel or wheels cooperating with a guide tube and serving to compact the continuous rod of tobacco as it is delivered from the forming belt into the said guide tube. The paper strip, after receiving the lengths of filling from the circumferential groove or channel in the wheel or drum, passes into a garniture arranged in close proximity to the point at which the paper strip leaves the wheel or drum and by which it is formed into a continuous paper tube which is subsequently cut off into lengths to provide cigarettes having insertions at the mouthpiece ends or at intermediate positions in the length thereof or, if no insertion material is applied, to provide cigarettes having hollow mouthpieces into which lter tips or other insertions may be applied subsequently. The tobacco-cutting and removing means associated with each of the transverse slots of the wheel or drum may comprise a blade mounted on the wheel or drum by the provision of an oscillatable arm or the equivaient, side walls connected to the blade and provided with inclined cutting edges for severing the tobacco lling, and a transverse wall forming with the blade and with the side walls a scoop (Cl. ISI-43) for effecting the lateral removal of the severed portion of the tobacco lling. A chamber may be provided behind the transverse Wall for the reception of a filter tip or mouthpiece insertion which is `thereby carried into alignment with the circumferential groove or channel when the severed portion of the tobacco illing is removed. The filter tip or mouthpiece insertion may be retained in the chamber by suction or other means up to the point at which it is to be deposited on the paper strip. The tobacco removed by the scoops may be carried away by means of a suction nozzle.

The invention is hereinafter described by Way oi example with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, in Which:-

Figure l is a side elevation illustrating one construction of apparatus in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line .II-II, Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the tobacco-cutting and removing means in the position occupied prior to the cutting and removing operation.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of 'A the wheel of the apparatus according to the present invention.

In carrying the invention into eiect according to one embodiment and with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, the continuous tobacco iilling l carried from the feed hopper (not shown) on a belt 2 cooperating With a guide 2a is fed by means of compression Wheels 3, 4 into a guide tube 5 by which the filling is delivered into a circumferential groove or channel tia in a segmental rim of a wheel 5. The tobacco filling is retained in the circumferential groove or channel by meansof a fixed guide 'l up tothe point at which it is delivered on to the,

continuous paper strip 9 Which may loe-carried by a Wrapping belt 8, both the belt and the paper strip conveniently passing around the same roller l@ and being led into the garniture Il.

Associated with each of the transverse slots formed between the segmental parts of the rim` to enter between the tobacco lling l and the"I guide l, and also with side walls I2c formed with inclined cutting edges whereby the tobacco filling i is sub-divided as the arm I2 is moved into the position shown in Figure 2, therblade i219 and Ato the side walls I2c in conjunction with a transverse wall at the rear thereof forming a scoop by which the severed portion of the tobacco filling is removed, as shown in Figure 2.

The arm I2 may be operated by the provision of a roller I2e co-operating with a cam ring ld supported by arms or brackets I5, I6, the arm I2 being normally held outwards by means of a spring I2d connected to an arm 6c fixed to the wheel 6 and being pressed inward as it approaches the position at which the paper strip 9 engages the Wheel 6 by means of the parts Illa of the cam ring I4.

Filter tips 20 or other desired insertions may be fed from forming mechanism I'I or a transfer drum, hopper or the like by means of a plunger I8 and directed through a spoon or guide I'Ia into the chambers formed by the grooves or channels in the outer ends of the arms I2. In order to hold each filter tip in the respective groove or channel I2a during its passage to the point at which it is deposited on the paper strip 9, a passage I2f in the arm communicates at the lower end with the groove or channel I2a and at the upper end through an opening 63a with the hollow pin I3 which in turn communicates with the passage 6d which, from the point of application of the lter tips or the like to the point of deposition thereof, is in communication with a bore ISa in a fixed spindle I9 carrying the wheel 6 through a slot I9b, such bore being connected to a suction pipe. This construction operates to cut off the suction after passage 6d passes slot I9b in element I9.

It will be understood that the filter tips 20 or the like are fed into the grooves or channels I2a when the arms I2 are in the position shown in Figure 3. Alternatively, the cam ring I4 may be formed so that the arms I2 move into the position shown in Figure 2 to receive the filter tip 2li or the like from the spoon or guide I'Ia. When the arms I2 are operated by the part I4a of the cam ring so as to be moved into the position shown in Figure 2 part of the tobacco filling is severed and removed and the filter tip 2U or the like is brought into position in the space so formed. The tobacco carried out by the scoop may be removed by the provision of a suction nozzle 2| or other suitable means.

The composite filling consisting of alternate lengths of tobacco and filter tips or the like is carried away on the paper strip 9 from the wheel 6 to the garniture I I or equivalent means whereby the paper strip is wrapped around the continuous filling to provide a rod which is subsequently cut off at the desired positions to produce cigarettes each containing a length of tobacco and a filter tip or other mouthpiece or intermediate insertion.

It will be appreciated that, inasmuch as the cutting and other devices acting on the tobacco rod are carried by the Wheel or drum and move therewith, the iiow of the continuous tobacco rod is uninterrupted throughout the operations hereinbefore described, while, owing to the fact that it is closely confined and/or compressed during the cutting operation, clean-cut ends to the severed parts of the tobacco are ensured. If desired, the blade I 2b may have its inner face arranged at a substantial inclination so as to apply increased compression to the tobacco filling prior to or during the cutting thereof.

If desired, the means for applying filter tips or the like in the spaces formed in the continuous tobacco filling may be omitted so that when the continuous paper tube is cut off into lengths cigarettes may be provided having hollow mouthpieces" which, if desired, may have filter tips or the like subsequently inserted thereinto.

The invention is applicable to the production of cigarettes having any desired mouthpiece or other insertion. For instance, the invention may be applied to the production of cigarettes provided with filter tips formed from crepe paper with or without intervening layers of filtering or like material. If desired, the insertions may be in the form of wads or tufts of cotton wool or similar material or may consist wholly or in part of tobacco, in which latter case cigarettes containing tobacco of two different kinds or characteristics may be readily produced.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment hereinbefore described. For instance, the continuous tobacco filling may be cariied to the wheel or drum and confined in the circumferential groove or channel therein by the paper strip itself and/ or by an endless belt. Furthermore, if desired, the means for applying the filter tips or other insertions into the spaces formed in the tobacco filling may be separate from or operated independently of or in conjunction with the tobacco-cutting and removing means.

What I claim is:-

1. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a rotatable member having transverse slots and a circumferential channel in its periphery into which channel the tobacco filling is guided and held during its passage to a position at which it is delivered from the channel on to a continuous paper strip, and cutting and tobacco-removing means associated with the rotatable member and operating on the tobacco filling in the circumferential channel through said transverse slots.

2. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a rotatable member having a circumferential channel in its periphery, means for introducing a tobacco filling into said channel, means for retaining said filling in said channel during a portion of a revolution of said member, and means carried by said rotatable member for cutting and removing a section of said filling from said channel.

3. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a rotatable member having a circumferential channel in its periphery, means for introducing a tobacco filling into said channel, means for retaining said filling in said channel during a portion of a revolution of said member, means carried by said rotatable member for cutting and removing a section of said filling from said channel, and means associated with said cutting means for positioning an insertion in the space provided by removal of said section of the filling.

4. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a rotatable member having a circumferential channel in its periphery, means for introducing a tobacco lling into said channel, means for retaining said filling in said channel during a portion of a revolution of said member, means carried by said rotatable member for cutting and removing a section of said filling from said channel, and means carried by said cutting means for positioning an insertion in the space provided by removal of said section of the filling.

5. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a rotatable member having a circumferential channel in its periphery, and a radially extending slot, means for introducing a tobacco filling in said channel, and means carried by said rotatable member and movable in said slot for cutting and removing a section of the filling in said channel.

6. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a rotatable member having a circumferential channel in its periphery, and a radially extending slot, means for introducing a tobacco filling in said channel, means carried by said rotatable member and movable in said slot for' cutting and removing a Section of the lling in said channel, and means carried by said cutting means for positioning an insertion in the space provided by removal of said section of the filling.

'7. An apparatus of the character` described, comprising a rotatable cylindrical member divided by radially extending slots into a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments, said cylindrical member having a circumferential channel in the periphery thereof, means for introducing a cigarette fill-ing in said channel, means for moving a strip of cigarette wrapper tangentially relative to said cylindrical member to receive the cigarette filling from said channel, and means carried by said cylindrical member and movable through said slots for severing and removing sections of the filling between said segments.

8. An apparatus oi the character described, comprising a rotatable cylindrical member divided by radially extending slots into a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments, said cylindrical member having a circumferential channel in the periphery thereof, means for introducing a cigarette filling in said channel, means for moving a strip of cigarette wrapper tangentially relative to said cylindrical member to receive the cigarette filling from said channel, means carried by said cylindrical member and movable through said slots for severing and removing sections of filling between said segments, and means for retaining said filling in said channel during travel of said cylindrical member from the lling introducing means to said wrapper strip.

9. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a rotatable cylindrical member divided by radially extending slots into a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments, said cylindrical member having a circumferential channel in the periphery thereof, means for introducing a cigarette lling in said channel, means for moving a strip of cigarette wrapper tangentially relative to said cylindrical member to receive the cigarette filling from said channel, means carried by said cylindrical member and movable through said slots for severing and removing sections of lling between said segments, and means associated with said severing means for positioning an insertion in the spaces provided by the removal of sections of the filling.

10. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a rotatable cylindrical member divided by radially extending slots into a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments, said cylindrical member having a circumferential channel in the periphery thereof, means for introducing a cigarette illing in said channel, means for moving a strip of cigarette wrapper tangentially relative to said cylindrical member to receive the cigarette filling from said channel, an arm mounted in each of said slots to swing about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said cylindrical member, a pair of blades carried by the free end of said arm, and means for swinging said arm to sever a section of the lling in saidI channel.

11. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a rotatable cylindrical member divided by radially extending slots into a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments, said cylindrical member having a circumferential channel in the periphery thereof, means for introducing a cigarette lling in said channel, means for moving a strip of cigarette wrapper tangentially relative to said cylindrical member to receive the cigarette filling from said channel, an arm mounted in each of said slots to swing about an axis perpendicular to the axisvof rotation of said cylindrical member, means carried b-y the free end of said arm for severing a section of said filling, and means for swinging said arm to eiect the severing operation.

12. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a rotatable cylindrical member divided by radially extending slots into a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments, said cylin drical member having a circumferential channel in the periphery thereof, means for introducing a cigarette filling in said channel, means for moving a strip of cigarette wrapper tangentially relative to said cylindrical member to receive the' cigarette filling from said channel, an arm mounted in each of said slots to swing about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said cylindrical member, means carried by the free end of said arm for severing a section of said filling, means on the free end of said arm for receiving an insertion, and means for swinging said arm to sever a section of lling and deposit the insertion carried by the arm in the space provided by removal of the severed section of the filling.

13. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a rotatable cylindrical member divided by radially extending slots into a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments, said cylindrical member having a circumferential channel in the periphery thereof, means for introducing a cigarette filling in said channel, means for moving a strip of cigarette wrapper tangentially relative to said cylindrical member to receive the cigarette filling from said channel, an arm mounted in each of said slots to swing about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said cylindrical member, means carried by the free end of said arm for severing a section of said lling, means on the free end of said arm for receiving an insertion, means for swinging said arm to sever a section of filling and deposit the insertion carried by the arm in the space provided by removal of the severed section of the filling, said arm having a duct extending' therethrough and communicating with the insertion receiving means, and means for connecting said duct to a source of suction to retain said insertion in position.

14. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a rotatable cylindrical member di vided by radially extending slots into a plurali-ty of circumferentially spaced segments, said cylindrical member having a circumferential channel in the periphery thereof, means for introducing a cigarette lling in said channel, means for moving a strip of cigarette Wrapper tangentially relative to said cylindrical member to receive the cigarette lling from said channel, an arm mounted in each of said slots to swing about an axis perpendicular to Vthe axis 'of rotation of said cylindrical member, a blade carried at the end of said arm, side wallsv connected to the bladel and provided with inclined cutting edges for t severing the filling, and a transverse wall forming with the blade and with the side walls a scoop for effecting the lateral removal of the severed portion of the filling.

15. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a rotatable cylindrical member divided by radially extending slots into a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments, said cylindrical member having a circumferential channel in the periphery thereof, means for introducing a cigarette filling in said channel, means for moving a strip of cigarette wrapper tangentially relative to said cylindrical member to receive the cigarette filling from said channel, an arm mounted in each of said slots to swing about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said cylindrical member, a blade carried at the end of said arm, side walls connected to the blade and provided with inclined cutting edges for severing the filling, a transverse wall forming With the blade and with the side walls a scoop for effecting the lateral removal of the severed portion ofthe filling, and a chamber provided behind said transverse wall for the reception of an insertion to be positioned in place of the section of the filling removed.

16. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a rotatable cylindrical member divided by radially extending slots into a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments, said cylindrical member having a circumferential channel in the periphery thereof, means for introducing a cigarette filling in said channel, means for moving a strip of cigarette wrapper tangentially relative to said cylindrical member to receive the cigarette filling from said channel, an arm mounted in each of said slots to swing about an axis perpendicular to the axis of rotation of said cylindrical member, a blade carried at the end of said arm, side walls connected to the blade and provided with inclined cutting edges for severing the filling, a transverse wall forming with the blade and with the side walls a scoop for effecting the lateral removal of the severed portion of the filling, a chamber provided behind said transverse wall for the reception of an insertion to be positioned in place of the section of the lling removed, and suction means for retaining said insertion in said chamber.

1'7. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a hub, a plurality of spokes extending radially from said hub, a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments carried by said spokes to provide a radially slotted rim, said rim having a circumferential channel in the periphery thereof, means for introducing a cigarette filling into said channel, means for supporting a paper strip in association with said rim to receive said filling, and means operable during travel of said rim and filling, from the filling introducing means to the paper strip, for severing and removing a section of said filling.

18. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a hub, a plurality of spokes extending radially from said hub, a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments carried by said spokes to provide a radially slotted rim, said rim having a circumferential channel in the periphery thereof, means for introducing a cigarette filling into said channel, means for supporting a paper strip in association with said rim to receive said filling, means operable during the travel of said rim and filling, from the filling introducing means to the paper strip, for severing and removing a section of said filling, and means associated with the severing means for positioning an insertion in the space provided by removal of said severed section of the filling.

19. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a hub, a plurality of spokes extending radially from said hub, a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments carried by said spokes to provide a radially slotted rim, said rim having a circumferential channel in the periphery thereof, means for introducing a cigarette filling into said channel, means for supporting a paper strip in association with said rim to receive said filling, means carried by the spokes for supporting an arm to swing between said segments, and means carried by the free end of said arm for severing and removing a section of said filling.

20. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a hub, a plurality of spokes extending radially from said hub, a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments carried by said spokes to provide a radially slotted rim, said rim having a circumferential channel in the periphery thereof, means for introducing a cigarette filling into said channel, means for supporting a paper strip in association with said rim to receive said filling, means carried by the spokes for supporting an arm to swing between said segments, means carried by the free end of said arm for severing and removing a section of said filling, and a chamber on the end of said arm for receiving an insertion to be positioned in place of the removed section of the lling.

2l. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a hub, a plurality of spokes extending radially from said hub, a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments carried by said spokes to provide a radially slotted rim, said rim having a circumferential channel in the periphery thereof, means for introducing a cigarette filling into said channel, means for supporting a paper strip in association with said rim to receive said filling, means carried by the spokes for supporting an arm to swing between said segments, means carried by the free end of said arm for severing and removing a section of said filling, a chamber on the end of said arm for receiving an insertion to be positioned in place of the removed section of the filling, and suction conduits provided in said arms, spokes and hub for placing said chamber in communication With a source of suction t0 retain the insertions in said chamber.

22. An apparatus of the character described, comprising a hub, a plurality of spokes extending radially from said hub, a plurality of circumferentially spaced segments carried by said spokes to provide a radially slotted rim, said rim having a circumferential channel in the periphery thereof, means for introducing a cigarette filling into said channel, means for supporting a paper strip in association with said rim to receive said filling, means carried by the spokes for supporting an arm to swing between said segments, means carried by the free end of said arm for severing and removing a section of said filling, a chamber on the end of said arm for receiving an insertion to be positioned in place of the removed section of the filling, suction conduits provided in said arms, spokes and hub for placing said chamber in communication with a source of suction to retain the insertions in said chamber, and means for controlling the application and cessation of suction to said chamber.

WILLIAM FREDERICK MAITLAND EDWARDS. 

